Irrational Problem Child

Irrationally Loyal

You saw it on the news: Allmight was retiring.

His secret was out in the open. A weak city for the taking, no symbol of peace to protect it.

All for One was the go-big or go-home type person, you decided. No more surprise attacks. He was going all out.

Three days before the scheduled destruction of the world, he sent Shigaraki to announce it.

Shigaraki demolished the city's legislative building and planted a banner in the rubble.

The words on the banner were the same words that All for One spoke over the every TV station as Dr. Garaki hacked into the network.

"The demolition and rebuilding of the world will begin on the third morning from today," he smiled on the staticky screen as citizens everywhere looked on in fear. "Heroes, your final stand will be at the ruins of your government building. If you want to die first, be there. But, if you have the will to keep living... there is a place for you in the new world."

You were surprised when the first heroes showed up, less than eight hours after the announcement. Heroes joining the villains. The nodded to you respectfully. As though you were some sort of symbol to them. The first to defect. You nodded back, expression stony.

More and more came. All for One's army was growing. Heroes who didn't feel confident of beating All for One. Heroes who had only fought with the immense strength of Allmight at their backs. Cowards.

You didn't hate them as much as you should. Hadn't you run your mouth, blabbered any words that came to mind when All for One had been about to kill you? You understood what it felt like to act out of fear. But you were angry. Every hero coming to the villains side was one more person Aizawa would have to fight. It felt like your presence was the catalyst to the incoming tide of traitors, and that frustrated you. You were here to protect Aizawa, not to build an army against him.

As the numbers grew, you almost hoped he wouldn't show up. That for once in his life, he would sit a fight out. But you knew him better than that. No matter how outmatched, outnumbered, he'd be there.

All you could do was wait. You stood on the rooftop, gazing out at a peaceful city one last time as dawn slowly approached. Even at this early hour, traffic jammed the streets. The last of the city residents evacuating, cars packed to capacity, suitcases strapped to the roof. Light gleamed off of their metal roofs as each spec of a vehicle trickled out to safety, turning the roads into shining strands of gold.

The city would be empty. Already, the dark windows made buildings look abandoned. As though those shining gold roadways were the literal light leaking away from everything.

You turned your back on it and headed down to the meeting.

You'd given up on braiding your hair ages ago, allowing it to do it's messy wavy thing. You hadn't had a proper shower in ages. Your hero costume had gotten torn from all the intense physical training, the loose ragged cuffs of your pants fluttering with each step. Your hand wraps had stains on them, some of them from the time you'd made Shigaraki's nose bleed. Yes, you looked different. But your outwardly wild appearance only showed a fraction how wild you'd grown inside.

Today was the day it would all be put to the test. You'd changed enough to convince All for One. But had you stayed the same in your heart?

You pushed open the doors of the meeting, and were surprised to only see one person: All for One. He was smiling.

"Apprentice... this is my final training."

Power engulfed you, tingled through your skin, shone through every bit of you. It raged within you, begging to be set free.